Mon - Rest
Tue
5.21k ; 32:02 ; 6:09min/k
Felt quite a bit better than last week on this course - just look at the numbers from last week.
To make it clear, this Vienna Park lap is 1.2k straight up the hill to the park, then a short lap around the park and again 1.2k downhill to the starting point.
My Garmin shows accumulated vertical ascent of 317 m, so it's definitely not flat.
While I am training for flat marathon, I think this weekly 'hilly' running gives my legs a bit more power than if I was running only on flat.
Wed
7.52k ; 46:39 ; 6:12min/k
Same version as the short one, I only run a bit longer lap around the park, twice.
While it may seem flat when in the park, it is a very mild gradual up (and down) hill.
Legs felt fine, got a bit tired towards the end so took it easy on the last downhill.
Thu
Biking ; cca 14km ; cca 45min
I turned off my Garmin when waiting at a train crossing and then forgot to turn it back on so I am only guessing the numbers here.
Didn't push at all, it was a nice evening ride despite the chilly and windy weather.
Fri - Rest
Legs felt tired so I decided to give them a rest before the long run on Saturday.
Sat
12.44k ; 1:22:10 ; 6:36min/k
This was a true drag. As good as I had felt earlier this week, this was just the opposite, I just couldn't get going.
After 5k I turned on the 'just get it done' mode and kept plodding along.
Strangely enough, my legs were getting tired in places they never use to and vice-versa, the tired muscles I normally get never bothered me.
Knee felt ok, but I think I am paying too much attention to how I run on it and try to take it easy, therefore putting more strain on my right leg. No wonder that my right quad, gluteus and hip became quite tired towards the end.
Note to self: Must not try to compensate!
Sun
4.74k ; 30:11 ; 6:22min/k
Since I skipped the short run on Friday, I was hoping to do it today, but only if legs felt ok.
Interestingly, while they were quite sore on Saturday, they recovered nicely so I went for it.
Needless to say (look at the numbers) it was a slow jog, just to get the legs moving.
Total running distance: 29.91 km
Overall, definitely better week than the last one.
Well, at least the first half of it, I have to wonder how come I either seem to get energetic, solid two short runs or a good long run but never both. Need to work on that :)
I have to say that I am still somewhat tired but it's getting better as long as I make sure I sleep proper hours.
Knee - tricky bugger, seriously. It seems that the pain is moving towards the inside, as I could really feel a tendon being sore at the back, where one of the hamstring muscles is attached to the knee joint.
Uphills are even worse, as that's when these muscles get used and I was not pleased with the lack of progress during those two runs in Vienna.
The pain is more annoying then run-stopping but I need to make sure I am not doing more damage to the knee as that would be game over.
Using ibuprofen cream and icing (I stopped stretching) doesn't seem to be helping much so I decided to let the body deal with it on its own :)
After the long run I could feel the hamstring and other tendon running on the inside of the knee but it wasn't worse.
Today (Sunday) as I am writing this, I still feel the sore tendons but I don't get any pain when walking around.
Fingers crossed and let see how it feels tomorrow.
have a good week!
m
Sunday 29 January 2012
Sunday 22 January 2012
Week 1 | 16.1 - 22.1
Monday - Rest
Mondays are always tough with getting up early and catching flight to Vienna.
Combined with the fact that Mondays are always mad at work, I am just glad to make it through the day and crash into bed in the evening.
Tue - 5.28k ; 33:48; 6:24min/k
A real struggle, legs felt heavy, breathing all over the place.
The only highlight was running on fresh powder snow, which was amazing.
Took it very slowly on the downhill.
Wed - 6.27k; 40:21; 6:26min/k
Basically the same as day before, luckily there was still some snow left in the park to cheer me up.
Apart from that, it was no fun at all.
Runs like this really test your resolve, I have to admit :)
Thu - Biking - 14.4k; 37:36; 23km/h
Arriving late to Frankfurt, I wasn't very motivated to go biking but forced myself and was glad I did at the end.
Quite relaxing ride, I did push a bit though to see what kind of average speed I can achieve.
It was nice to get out and do something else than running.
Interestingly, my left quad got tired much faster than my right which probably means it is the weaker one.
This could be part of the reason why I have been having problems with my left knee.
I shall pay more attention to how I bike and make sure I don't use one leg more than the other.
Fri - 4.82k; 29:37; 6:09min/k
Short jog before the long run, I felt a bit better and it was nice to be running on flat course again.
Very slow, though.
Sat - 9.79k; 1:02:29; 6:23min/k
Definitely the best run (feeling wise) this week, I put myself into cruising mode and just zoned out.
Very slow pace for 10km, but the speed wasn't the goal here.
I picked up the speed in the last km or so to give my legs faster turnover and to bring down the average pace a bit.
Legs felt fine in general, knee and new trainers didn't give me any issues while running.
Phew, relief.
And yeah, it was longer than the planned 8km, but I just couldn't help myself :)
Sun - Rest
I was supposed to go biking, but the knee felt a bit stiff and I was overall quite tired, therefore I opted for RICE approach instead :)
Since I hit (and slightly exceeded) my planned mileage I don't feel that guilty.
Total running distance: 26.16 km
This has been a very tough week, mostly mentally.
Going into 'serious' training cycle for the first time ever, I was definitely motivated, but my body wasn't.
No pep in legs, zero energy levels, heavy breathing, sluggish pace, you name it.
I don't know where it's coming from, maybe my body is fighting some virus and that's draining me.
Thank god for the bit of snow in Vienna during my two runs, that at least provided a bit of (much needed) positive energy.
Things started slightly picking up on Friday and Saturday, which was good.
Knee still feels stiff, but I didn't get any problems during running, it is mostly when I sit and then get up, I feel the tendons being stiff and sore.
I tried some stretching, not sure if that helps
As I said, I will be icing it regularly and hoping for improvement.
have a good week!
m
Mondays are always tough with getting up early and catching flight to Vienna.
Combined with the fact that Mondays are always mad at work, I am just glad to make it through the day and crash into bed in the evening.
Tue - 5.28k ; 33:48; 6:24min/k
A real struggle, legs felt heavy, breathing all over the place.
The only highlight was running on fresh powder snow, which was amazing.
Took it very slowly on the downhill.
Wed - 6.27k; 40:21; 6:26min/k
Basically the same as day before, luckily there was still some snow left in the park to cheer me up.
Apart from that, it was no fun at all.
Runs like this really test your resolve, I have to admit :)
Thu - Biking - 14.4k; 37:36; 23km/h
Arriving late to Frankfurt, I wasn't very motivated to go biking but forced myself and was glad I did at the end.
Quite relaxing ride, I did push a bit though to see what kind of average speed I can achieve.
It was nice to get out and do something else than running.
Interestingly, my left quad got tired much faster than my right which probably means it is the weaker one.
This could be part of the reason why I have been having problems with my left knee.
I shall pay more attention to how I bike and make sure I don't use one leg more than the other.
Fri - 4.82k; 29:37; 6:09min/k
Short jog before the long run, I felt a bit better and it was nice to be running on flat course again.
Very slow, though.
Sat - 9.79k; 1:02:29; 6:23min/k
Definitely the best run (feeling wise) this week, I put myself into cruising mode and just zoned out.
Very slow pace for 10km, but the speed wasn't the goal here.
I picked up the speed in the last km or so to give my legs faster turnover and to bring down the average pace a bit.
Legs felt fine in general, knee and new trainers didn't give me any issues while running.
Phew, relief.
And yeah, it was longer than the planned 8km, but I just couldn't help myself :)
Sun - Rest
I was supposed to go biking, but the knee felt a bit stiff and I was overall quite tired, therefore I opted for RICE approach instead :)
Since I hit (and slightly exceeded) my planned mileage I don't feel that guilty.
Total running distance: 26.16 km
This has been a very tough week, mostly mentally.
Going into 'serious' training cycle for the first time ever, I was definitely motivated, but my body wasn't.
No pep in legs, zero energy levels, heavy breathing, sluggish pace, you name it.
I don't know where it's coming from, maybe my body is fighting some virus and that's draining me.
Thank god for the bit of snow in Vienna during my two runs, that at least provided a bit of (much needed) positive energy.
Things started slightly picking up on Friday and Saturday, which was good.
Knee still feels stiff, but I didn't get any problems during running, it is mostly when I sit and then get up, I feel the tendons being stiff and sore.
I tried some stretching, not sure if that helps
As I said, I will be icing it regularly and hoping for improvement.
have a good week!
m
Friday 20 January 2012
Training plan, goals and a few numbers
At first, let me share some numbers with you :)
Age: 33
Height: 193cm
Weight: 104kg
Goal: Finish!
I hope to finish between 4:30 and 5 hours. Anything faster would be an unexpected bonus.
Training plan:
Below is the Excel Sheet screenshot, based on how I normally run, my work travels and what I have found online.
Highlighted are the important long runs and (of course) the race day.
Monday will be rest day, Tuesday and Wednesday shorter runs in Vienna, Thursday cross trainning when back from Vienna, Friday short run, Saturday long run and Sunday cross training.
All cross training will be biking between 30-60min. I really enjoy biking and have found out that it's the perfect active recovery for me, as well as good training for leg strength.
I bought a new bike so there is no excuse! :)
My current mileage would be around week #3, but my left knee is really giving me trouble so I decided to start building up slowly and am hoping that it will get better before I hit the higher numbers.
It's tricky to say what's wrong, it gets quite tight and sore on the inside tendons at the back of the knee and I am sure sitting in front of computer (with bent knees) isn't helping.
I plan to be icing it at least once a day now and if it doesn't improve within a week, I might have to go to see sport's doc.
Strangely enough, it doesn't really hurt while running, at least at shorter distances.
I will also try to avoid any steep uphills and downhills when running in Vienna as that isn't helping either.
Fingers crossed!
Expect post from me every Sunday about the just finished week, with exact numbers as given by my Garmin.
m
p.s. week #1 is going ok, so far :)
Sunday 15 January 2012
First Marathon Training - How I got here
It's been a while since I posted on this blog.
Actually, more than two years have gone since I created this blog where I was hoping to write about my views on life, adventures, etc.
However, having such a busy life of freelance IT consultant who has been working away from home, I wasn't motivated to spend time in front of the blog.
But now, I have a reason to write, FIRST MARATHON! :)
Before we get into training details (next post), let me recap my running journey, or rather, how I got to this point/decision.
I hated running when I was young. Really hated it.
We would have PE lessons every week and I would be dreading the time when our teacher says 'we are running today'.
Needless to say, I was always the last one, the chubby kid :)
Fast forward to high school, I started going to the gym and ocassionally went for a run with classmates.
Nothing special and I don't think I enjoyed that very much.
Then came the time around 1998, during university, when I started to get 'sort of' fitter with more gym and running.
After university, I went to England for 2.5 years and did the odd run around the fields, but was still much more into gym.
The real first serious point when I started running with commitment would be in 2006 in Sweden.
I went to work there and was quite fat and unfit therefore I set my goal to run 10k race in 3 months, which I did.
I even hit my target of being under 60 min, 57:23 to be precise, still to date my fastest 10k time.
It was hugely motivational and I said to myself that I need to get into racing more.
But it didn't happen and when I moved from Sweden to Germany (yeah, nomad life), I was again quite unfit.
I started running again and thought about half marathon, for which I trained and finished in March 2010 in dismal 2:22:41, on what was quite a bad day.
We all get them, don't we?
After that, my mind naturally looked at the next distance, marathon.
But nothing more came from that until end of 2011.
I started working in Vienna in early 2010 and also started running regularly with colleagues on this little course we found.
On and off for the whole year, I could feel that my legs were getting stronger (the course has serious uphills, eventhough it's in centre of Vienna) and I could run the odd 15km long run on the weekends.
In December 2011, I started another of those 15km runs and felt very good from the start.
Actually, I felt the best I had felt in the whole year, so I kept running and did 20km instead.
THAT was the point when I knew I wanted to go for marathon.
I thought if I could crank up to 20km in a weekly long run without much mileage (20km-30km a week), there is a real chance I could run 42km with proper training.
I knew it would have to be in the spring or autumn, there was no way I wanted to run a marathon in summer - I hate heat (in case you didn't know).
Naturally, being in Vienna, I checked for the Vienna Marathon
and voila, 15th of April!
Perfect, I registered the same evening, which made it official.
Number 6701! :)
I have got 13 weeks to get ready, starting this Monday :)
I will post my goals and training plan in the next few days, this post is already too long. :)
Now off to bed as I have an early plane to Vienna to catch.
Have a good week!
m
Actually, more than two years have gone since I created this blog where I was hoping to write about my views on life, adventures, etc.
However, having such a busy life of freelance IT consultant who has been working away from home, I wasn't motivated to spend time in front of the blog.
But now, I have a reason to write, FIRST MARATHON! :)
Before we get into training details (next post), let me recap my running journey, or rather, how I got to this point/decision.
I hated running when I was young. Really hated it.
We would have PE lessons every week and I would be dreading the time when our teacher says 'we are running today'.
Needless to say, I was always the last one, the chubby kid :)
Fast forward to high school, I started going to the gym and ocassionally went for a run with classmates.
Nothing special and I don't think I enjoyed that very much.
Then came the time around 1998, during university, when I started to get 'sort of' fitter with more gym and running.
After university, I went to England for 2.5 years and did the odd run around the fields, but was still much more into gym.
The real first serious point when I started running with commitment would be in 2006 in Sweden.
I went to work there and was quite fat and unfit therefore I set my goal to run 10k race in 3 months, which I did.
I even hit my target of being under 60 min, 57:23 to be precise, still to date my fastest 10k time.
It was hugely motivational and I said to myself that I need to get into racing more.
But it didn't happen and when I moved from Sweden to Germany (yeah, nomad life), I was again quite unfit.
I started running again and thought about half marathon, for which I trained and finished in March 2010 in dismal 2:22:41, on what was quite a bad day.
We all get them, don't we?
After that, my mind naturally looked at the next distance, marathon.
But nothing more came from that until end of 2011.
I started working in Vienna in early 2010 and also started running regularly with colleagues on this little course we found.
On and off for the whole year, I could feel that my legs were getting stronger (the course has serious uphills, eventhough it's in centre of Vienna) and I could run the odd 15km long run on the weekends.
In December 2011, I started another of those 15km runs and felt very good from the start.
Actually, I felt the best I had felt in the whole year, so I kept running and did 20km instead.
THAT was the point when I knew I wanted to go for marathon.
I thought if I could crank up to 20km in a weekly long run without much mileage (20km-30km a week), there is a real chance I could run 42km with proper training.
I knew it would have to be in the spring or autumn, there was no way I wanted to run a marathon in summer - I hate heat (in case you didn't know).
Naturally, being in Vienna, I checked for the Vienna Marathon
and voila, 15th of April!
Perfect, I registered the same evening, which made it official.
Number 6701! :)
I have got 13 weeks to get ready, starting this Monday :)
I will post my goals and training plan in the next few days, this post is already too long. :)
Now off to bed as I have an early plane to Vienna to catch.
Have a good week!
m
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
